Burial-vault.



PATENTED JUNE 1'9, 1906. l

T. A. STBVENSON.

BURIAL VAULT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 9, 1906 munswfa. Gamm co mmm umol-.rum ns nsmru ou u L UNITED snirns Specification ofI Letters Patent. v

Patented June 10, 1006.

Application led March 9, 1906. Serial No. 305,146.

To all whom it may concern: j

Be it known that I, THnoDoRE A. STEVEN- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lansing, in the county of Leavenworth and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burial- Efaults, ofwhich the following is a specificaion.

My invention relates to improvements in burial-vaults, and has for its object the provision of a novel vault that will be practically f indestructible and wherein the coffin is placed for trans ortation or final burial.

A furt er object is to provide an air and water tight vault which is reinforced at certain points to successfully resist the crushing weigi1 t imposed thereon by the surrounding eart In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which#- Figure 1 represents a erspective view of my improved burial-vau t with the lid removed. l Fig. 2 is a transverse section of same on line II II of Fig. 1 with the lid in position. Fig. 3 is a broken vertical section on line III III of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the vault with the lid removed.

The vault, which is constructed of cement, concrete, or artificial stone, is rectangular in form and consists o f vertical side walls 1, gabled end walls 2, and a bottom portion 2a, inte ral with said walls. Walls 1 and 2 are rei orced at their corners with integral columns 3 in order to successfully resist the crushing weight to which they are subjected.

i Walls 1 are provided at their upper ortions with longitudinal shoulders 4, w 'ch communicate with inverted-V-shaped shoulders 5, integral with the upper portion of the gabled end walls 2 and united at their upper en ds with a horizontal portion 5a. The uper portions of walls 1 are also provided with lhngitudinal fianges 6, communicating with flanges 7, integral with the upper portion 'of walls 2.

8 designates a lid, which is V-shaped in cross-section and has a reinforced ridge 9 extendingthe entire length thereof to prevent the same from caving in. Lid Sis unprovided with end walls and supported by shoulders 4 'and 5, shoulders 5 assistingthe reinforced ridge 9 to resist` the crushing weight to which the lid is subjected. The lower vertical edges 10 of the lid abut against flanges 6, which resist all tendency of the lid to spread, and the latter is held from longitudinal movement by flanges 7, which are flush with the upper surface of said lid.

In order to hermetically seal the casket, and thus render the same air and water tight, the shoulders -and inner sides of the flanges are coated with `cement mortar, so that when the lid is placed in position its edges will become embedded in said mortar, which latter after becoming set reliably holds the lid in position. To prevent the lid'from being disturbed while the mortar is still green, I provide its ends with depending spring-catches 11, which automatically ensltion, said kee ers being embedded in the upper portion o the gabled ends 2, as shown. Furthermore, these fastenings will prevent access to the inclosed coffin and its contents Without first destroying the burial-vault.

Great strength isl obtained by making the lid V-shaped and reinforcing its ridge, as shown, and by providing the vault with flanges to resist any tendency which the lid may have to vspread and reinforcing the corners with columns 3 it is obvious that I have secured the greatest strength with the least amount of weight and material.

From the above description it is ap arent that I have produced a burial-vault w ch is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and well ada ted to resist the crushing weight to which evices of this character are subjected.

Having thus described my invention, what I-claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A burial-vault consisting of vertical side Walls, longitudinal shoulders integral With said walls, longitudinal flanges communicating with said shoulders and extending above the latter, gabled end walls integral -with the side Walls, inverted-V-shaped shoulders integral with said end walls and communicating with the shoulders on the side walls, a bottom portion integral with the walls, and an inverted-V-shaped lid adapted to rest u on the shoulders.

2. A urial-vault consisting of vertical side walls, gabled end walls integral with said gage keepers 12 when the lid is placed in po lOO IOS

side Walls, a bottom portion integral with the In testimony whereof I affix my signature Wfalllsl, keepers plbeddedhn te lperpcfrtion in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

o t e en Wa s, a V-s a e oroosng the upper portion of the ault, and spring- I THEODORE A' STEVENSON 5 catches depending from the a eX of said lid and adapted to automatioal 'y engage the keepers.

Witnesses:

E. W. LAssELL, JOHN S. FIDLER 

